Online information sessions: 24 June

COVID-19

We are committed to offering a high-quality experience to all our students. We are working to minimise the impact of COVID-19, but we have reluctantly decided that we will be unable to offer this programme for entry in 2020.

We anticipate that this degree will be available again for entry in September 2021, but we are not currently in the position to confirm that. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

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You’ll have the opportunity to create and present a significant body of work and will graduate with the confidence to establish yourself within or beyond the field as an independent designer maker or creative practitioner elsewhere in the creative industries.

This highly practical programme will see you exploring and developing your creativity through a variety of approaches, from the traditional practices of the goldsmiths’ and silversmiths’ trade to the contemporary influences of art, craft, design, technology and science.

You’ll work in a vibrant, well-equipped environment, with bench spaces and access to machine and CAD workshops and studios. You’ll also have access to the range of facilities across the University to explore your work in an interdisciplinary environment.

The MFA runs over two academic years and is four semesters long. It culminates in an assessment of your production of a body of practical and written work on an agreed self-initiated studio project.

Your study will combine practical studio work with theoretical and written studies, including professional practice elements to prepare you for employment in the industry, and a lecture/seminar series that will examine the wider context of your studies.

Our connections both in the UK and abroad will provide you with valuable networks to help you establish your career.

Graduates typically establish their own studios or find work with jewellery companies, creative organisations or specialist employers, while many others become part of the next generation of academics.

We offer a programme that focuses on creating industry-ready professionals with students establishing their own studios or finding employment with international universities or well-known companies like the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, the Scottish Gallery or the Dovecot Studios.

We have an impressive track record in annual competitions such as the national Goldsmiths Company New Designers Award for Jewellery (won in 2014 and 2013), JOYA Barcelona, Contemporary Jewellery Award (won in 2017), Talente, the postgraduate student categories of the Craftsmanship and Design Awards in London and invited exhibitions such as Silver Schools, 2010 in Legnica, Poland, the Cominelli Foundation 2012 exhibition, Italy and ‘CONNECT’ 2013, SOFA Chicago USA.

You must submit a portfolio as part of your application. Your portfolio should contain:

sketchbook work demonstrating personal ideas, design research and observed drawing

photographs of three dimensional models, ideas prototypes and test pieces in a range of materials

well-photographed examples of completed personal studio work, clearly captioned with titles, dates, dimensions in millimetres, and materials the work was made from (if the work was made from your design by another person or company, this should be clearly stated)

evidence of a critical and reflective awareness of contemporary work in jewellery and silversmithing and wider disciplines.

If you do not meet the academic entry requirements, we may still consider your application on the basis of your portfolio and/or relevant professional experience.

International qualifications

English language requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

For 2020 entry we accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:

IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.0 in each module)

TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 100 (at least 20 in each module). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements

PTE Academic: total 67 (at least 56 in each of the "Communicative Skills" sections)

CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 169 in each module)

Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components

For 2021 entry we will accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:

IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.0 in each module)

TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 100 (at least 20 in each module). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements

CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 169 in each module)

Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components

*(Revised 21 February 2020 to remove PTE Academic from 2021 entry requirements. Revised 21 April 2020 to include TOEFL-iBT Special Home Edition in 2020 and 2021 entry requirements.)

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

Applying

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

You must submit a portfolio as part of your application. You won't be able to submit your portfolio immediately, but you'll receive an email prompt within a few days of submitting your application that will explain how to upload your portfolio.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

The University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number
SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, and is acknowledged by the UK authorities as a
“Recognised body” which has been
granted degree awarding powers.